In Which Draco and Hermione Save the World
by 95Echelon
Summary: Or, at least Hogwarts. And Great Britain. And possibly, major portions of Europe. (Harry and Neville tag along too, because don't we all love those little munchkins?)


In which Draco and Hermione take over the World

Or, at least Hogwarts. And Great Britain. And possibly, major portions of Europe. (Harry and Neville tag along too, because don't we all love those little munchkins?)

**In the corridor of the Hogwarts Express**

**11:05 am, September 1, 1971**

"You're a mudblood."

"Well, that's unnecessarily rude. You're a snob."

(Hermione at 11 was being terribly nonchalant, and not at all what Draco expected. Look! She was even examining her nails! Stupid… **stupid… BINT!**Draco repressed the urge to clap his hands over his mouth.)

"Am **not!**I'm a _pureblood._"

(Draco was especially proud of this. He came from eight generations of powerful wizards and witches. He wondered how the **stupid** girl would best that.)

"Well alright. And I'm on non-magical descent. So?"

"So… So! So you don't deserve to be here! Father says muggleborns aren't even true magicals. Father says you're corruption the quality of education in England's premiere wizarding institution. Your blood is filthy! You can't **be here!"**

(Draco was huffing a little now. Father hasn't prepared him for **this!**He was beginning to feel quite awkward.)

"Of course I can be here. I got my letter." (Hermione's mouth formed a dramatic pink 'o'.) "Didn't _**you?!**_"

(How **dare** she!)

"Yes! Of course I did!"

"Oh. Well. That's alright then. You can be here too. Thank goodness. (A beatific smile was cast in his direction) Can you imagine," (She leaned over conspiratorially), "the absolute **mess**if someone hadn't gotten their letter and snuck on board?"

"Oh _Merlin_yeah! Father would go on about it for absolute **ages!**"

(Draco nodded vigorously throughout, as though to reinforce his remark, his voice appropriately hushed.)

At this point, their very, very intelligent repartee was sadly interrupted.

(But not by a commercial break, thank heavens.)

"Hallo there! Do know if there are any empty compartments 'round here?"  
>(He was messy-haired and skinny. Hermione violently pushed down her desire to hand him a comb.)<br>(Draco thought he had the greenest eyes ever.)

"I'm looking for one too." (This was Hermione, fluffing her hair and making Draco roll his eyes.) "Mr. Pureblood here has already snagged one, but he won't tell me where because I'm a muggleborn and he thinks he's all fancy and hoity-toity, which is awfully discriminatory but one needs to ease into these things, don't you agree? I'm Hermione, by the by. Hermione Granger. And you are?"

(All this was said incredibly fast. Draco thought he felt short of breath just listening to her.)

"I'm Harry Potter. And this is my owl, Hedwig."

(Hedwig was sitting on a leather brace on Harry's shoulder. She looked extremely pleased with herself.)

(Hermione thought she was beautiful. Oh wait. Harry _**Potter?!**_)

(Draco wondered if the owl would poo on Harry's shoulder. But oh! Harry **Potter!**)

"I'm Draco Malfoy, Harry." (He grandly extended a hand, just like he'd seen Father do countless times.) "You'll find that one sort of friends is preferable to the, ah… (he paused delicately) riff-raff."  
>(He cast a meaningful glance at Hermione. She quirked up a smirky eyebrow. He quickly looked away.)<p>

"Oh! Um…" (Harry shook Draco's hand, but looked at Hermione, feeling very, very confused.) "But why can't we all be friends?"

"Purebloods do not associate with _**mudbloods!**_"

"Language, Draco."

(Draco thought the girl – Hermione? – sounded an awful lot like Mother. It was, he thought, very endearing, even if she was a mudblood, the poor thing. She probably couldn't help it.)

"Wait, what's a pureblood? And a mu-uh…"

"A muggleborn, Harry, do keep up. You can't call me a mudblood if you want us to be friends."

(Hermione crossed her arms and scowled rather fiercely. She really, _really_wanted friends but not idiotic prats who went around using absurd racist profanities. **Mud-**blood, indeed! Hmph!)

"Well I won't then. Call you a mu-uh, anything other than a muggleborn."

(Harry's tone was hearteningly decisive. Hermione decided she'd quite like to keep him.)

"What's a pureblood anyway?"

"Someone who descends from at least three generations of purely human magicals or Squibs."

(Draco gaped. For a mu-oh alright, _'muggleborn'_since she insisted, she seemed well-read. How…odd.)

"Oh alright. M'not a pureblood then."  
>(Harry grinned happily at Hermione.)<br>(Draco pouted. Why couldn't he smile at _him?!)_

"Oh no, you're a halfblood. Your mother was a mu-muggleborn, after all."  
>(Draco stumbled and corrected himself, unused to the non-slur.)<p>

(Hermione smiled at him brilliantly.)  
>(Draco felt a warm fizzle in his chest and grinned back.)<p>

"Wait- how- How d'you know all that about my mum?"  
>"Well, you're famous, Harry! I've read the magazines and the books and all that, you know."<br>"Well, yeah… Just… Didn't expect everyone to know _everything…"_

(Draco noted Harry's grouchiness and resolved not to bring up his fame. Draco thought he was getting quite good at this 'being friends' business.)

"Oh Harry. You said you wanted a compartment to keep your things? You could keep it in mine. I've got people to keep an eye on it and everything."

"Yeah! Thanks, Draco!"

(Harry grinned and his eyes looked greener than ever.)

(Draco got the fizzles again, only loads brighter.)

"But only if Hermione can come too."

(Harry cast a resolute glance at his other friend – friends! He, Harry Potter, misfit extraordinaire, had friends! **Two**of them! Hogwarts was looking better every second.)

(Draco sighed discontentedly.)

"If I can't stop you two… Alright, follow me. It's this way."

And once more, we are forced to interrupt the programming.

(We all thank Merlin fanfiction doesn't involve ad breaks and eagerly wonder about the nature of the interruption.)

"Excuse me! Excuse me!"

(He was chubby, and sweaty and red-faced. Hermione did not repress her urges and immediately handed him a kerchief.)

"Oh! Um, thank you…?"

"Hermione Granger. What's the matter?"

"Right. Pleasure, Miss Granger. M'Neville Longbottom. Have you seen a toad hop through here? Horned toad, about yea big?"

"No, sorry. We could help you look if you wanted?"

"Oh thank you! Poor, poor Trevor…"

"This is Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. We were just heading to our compartment. Would you like to come with us?"

"Hello Neville. I'm Harry. This is Hedwig. We'll help, promise."

"HEY! It's **my**compartment! **You** can't just invite **anyone!**"

"Oh hush Draco. Ignore him, Neville. Come along now."

And this is how the story begins. Later, they took over the world too, but that's a story for another chapter and another day.


End file.
